This invention is a pilocarpine-containing chewing gum that contains 0.13.about.0.20 weight % of pilocarpine as well as normal gum base that contains sweetening materials and flavors.
The purpose of the invention is for development of a new type of chewing gum that stimulates the salivation by solubilized pilocarpine from chewing gum, that acts on the parasympathetic nerve in the salivary glands.
Generally, chewing gum is just for enjoying chewing. The chewing gums for specific purposes have specific components for their specific functions. Various kinds of chewing gums for elimination of bad oral odor, for alarming sleeping, for producing specific flavors, and others are available.
Contrary to traditional chewing gums, the invented gum not only can provide fresh sensation and good taste by sweetening agents and flavors but also can improve oral hygiene and speaking ability by stimulating salivation.
The ability of salivation of the aged people in their sixties is one-eighth of that of young adults. In this dry mouth state, the number of microorganisms increases.
For example, there are 70,000/cm.sup.2 of microorganisms in the oral cavity of young adults compared with 300,000/cm.sup.2 in the mouth of aged people. This fact means bad oral hygiene and increased susceptibility to infectious diseases in aged population.
Therefore, aged people suffer from speaking difficulty and can not make exact pronunciation in dry mouth state. Digestive function is also decreased.
Dry mouth is often found in the people under stressful condition and with some diseases.
The decreased salivation with aging is a normal physiologic phenomenon. However, severe dry mouth can be found in congenital ectodermal developmetal disorders and Sjogren syndrome which usually occurs after the age of forties. There are over 100,000,000/ml microorganisms in saliva, and about one-third of them are pathogenic ones. Bacteriocidal and bacteriostatic effects of saliva are essential for sound oral health. Infection in various organs of body can occur in the decreased state and absence of salivation. Normal salivation provides maintenance of systemic body health as well as digestion and lubrication.
Parasympathetic stimulators have been used as traditional sialagogues and oral administration of pilocarpine(20 mg, twice a day) was popular regimen. (Drug information Handbook p.p. 926, LAXY COMP Inc. 1993. U.S.A.)
However, long term use of pilocarpine showed limitation in patients with hypertension, parkinsonism, and some related conditions because of stimulating effect of pilocarpine on the central nervous system(CNS) and myocardium. (reference:1 Fox, P. C., Van Der Ven, P. F., Baum, Boj. and Mandel, I. D.: Pilocarpine for the treatment of xerostomia associated with salivary gland dysfuction, Oral Surg. 61(3): 243-248, 1986. 2 Deborah Greenspan & Troy E. Daniels: The use of pilocarpine in post-radiation xerostomia, LADR Abstracts 1979. 3 Martin M. Ferguson, Bsc, MBCHB, BDS, FDSRCPS.: Pilocarpine and other cholinergic drugs in the management of salivary gland dysfunction, oral medicine oral pathology, Vol. 75. No.2:186-190, 1993.)